KANSAS CITY Mo -- Dexter A. Delano enjoys people and the shooting sports, a combination that makes him an invaluable volunteer for programs at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Parma Woods Shooting Range near Parkville.

Delano, 74, of Leavenworth, was honored for his service on Wednesday, Sept. 21, with the presentation of a .22-caliber Henry Golden Boy lever-action rifle.

He is the first shooting range volunteer in Missouri to have served 2,000 hours, and now his volunteer time is more than 4,000 hours, said Range Officer Scott Harrison.

“I like the people,” Delano said. “I’m retired and this is fun. This isn’t work.”

Delano started volunteering at the range in 2006. He especially enjoys archery and teaching others how to shoot with bow and arrows. Also a firearms enthusiast, his favorite target shooting at the range is with handguns. Delano also teaches classes in hunting and gun safety at Parma Woods, helps maintain safety on the firing line and provides assistance to new shooters who encounter problems.

Volunteers are an integral part of programs at many MDC shooting ranges, nature centers and classrooms. For more information on volunteering for MDC, go to http://1.usa.gov/qHycno. For a list of MDC sites that use volunteers, go to http://1.usa.gov/omviS9.

From 15 to 20 volunteers serve at the Parma Woods range, said Range Manager Nathan Woodland.

"They’re a huge help in serving the public and keeping the shooting range safe. We couldn’t do it without them,” Woodland said. “We had 30,000 visitors come through here last year. There’s no way we could have served them all without the volunteers.”

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center in St. Charles is undergoing renovated into an expanded, state-of-the-art shooting range featuring more shooting stations and classroom facilities.

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